


Bullied

by JustAJellyfish, obsessedauthorchan



Category: DCU, Justice League - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mild Language, Roy is a good bro, Roy is totally boyfriend material, Roy is very protective, Until he becomes more than a bro, Wally Whump, Warning for domestic abuse, Warning for extreme homophobia, a little more emotional pain can't hurt, and Wally is adorable, because I adore fluff, because feels, but Roy makes it all better, but its probably worth it, lota of angst, much - Freeform, rated for homophobia and violence, so just try it, starts out angsty, then it turns into fluff, this is a sad fic, warning for bullying, why do I do this to him?!, you always hurt the ones you love, you read the tags and think you probably dont want to read this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 05:40:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6841231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAJellyfish/pseuds/JustAJellyfish, https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsessedauthorchan/pseuds/obsessedauthorchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally has a terrible home life, and his school life is just as bad. Roy comes to the rescue.</p><p>Read the tags for warnings (in case you are too lazy to do that: homophobia, bullying, domestic violence, angst, and feels)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bullied

**Author's Note:**

> I reject Wally and Artemis. I call them warty. I don't like warts. I like KidArrow. Because they are adorable.
> 
> Welcome to my fic.
> 
> There be feels here.

Wally hated going to school. He hated coming home too. Learning was great. Homework was tolerable. But school itself, and all the stuff that came with it, Wally wished he could go without.

He had enjoyed school at first. Elementary was fantastic. He was smart and funny and energetic and got along with everybody, so it was no surprise he liked it. 

Middle school brought problems. He'd grown, gotten older. He was still smart and funny and energetic and he could get along with anyone if they gave him the opportunity. But the thing is, they didn't. They didn't give him the opportunity to get along with them, because while those fundamental parts of him were the same, other things had changed.

Other guys talked about the cute girls in their classes while they changed in the locker room. Wally spent that time blushing furiously while he avoided looking at anyone else. Other guys flirted with girls, went on dates, and kept talking about who was prettiest and who they wanted to take to their first school dance. Wally joked and laughed along, pretending to like this girl or that one, but in reality he just picked a random girl who looked similar to a guy he was actually crushing on.

People noticed he was weird, that he didn't act the same way as the other guys and that he never went to any of the school dances with a date, despite the fact that he actually could have gotten one if he wanted. Because he was smart and funny and energetic and now he was starting to get attractive too, and any girl would have gone to the dance with him if he asked, but he didn't ask.

And so people got distant. His friends noticed that he stared too long at them, that his touches lingered, that he never did either of those things with the girls. They grew distant. They never said anything, because they wanted to be wrong. Wally was their friend and they didn't want to be right, but they thought they were so they drifted away.

Then High School arrived and nobody seemed to care about their old friend, Wally. Nobody cared if they were wrong. A good portion wanted to be right. They laughed and joked and made fun of him. The guys made kissing faces and the girls stayed as far away as they could. Wally upped his game with the flirting, but everyone seemed to know his secret, so they knew it was an act, all the flirting.

An act to cover up that he was gay.

Things got worse quickly. The first month of school people joked. Halfway through the year, they pulled pranks. At the end of freshman year, one guy pretended to flirt with Wally, the gullible redhead falling for it, while another secretly filmed it on his phone before sending it to the rest of the school.

Sophomore year started. Things were looking up because Robin and Kaldur and he were starting a team, with a new guy named Connor. Wally wished Roy had joined up, but he understood why he didn't. He got along well with the team, because he was smart and funny and energetic, and he made sure to flirt with M'gann always and Dick never. Nobody figured out his little secret.

That didn't make school any better. The first time Wally came home with a black eye, Wally waved it off as a gym accident. After the sixth time, the school called his parents to inform him of the rumors that Wally was gay, and that that was why he was being bullied. His parents didn't believe it at first, but Wally was tired of lying to the people closest to him. He admitted it, and that started a whole new ballgame.

Turns out, Rudolph West was a Homophobe. He couldn't stand the idea of a gay son. At first, he tried to rebuke it out of Wally, then ground it out of Wally. Then, maybe Wally would get the message if he took away his electronics. 

Maybe Wally would finally get it when Rudy started beating it out of him. Maybe he would get it when Rudy pinned him to the wall with his forearms against Wally's neck, forcing him to repeat over and over, "I am not a faggot. I am not a faggot."

Wally knew he was lying every time he said it.

Wally was lucky he had his powers. If it wasn't for his healing factor, his friends on the team (his only friends) would have noticed the bruises. On his face, his chest, his back, his legs, his everywhere. He was lucky Barry and Iris let him stay over often, that they never asked questions about why he wanted to, that they respected his privacy and therefore never saw him with his shirt off, with the black and purple bruises exposed for their viewing pleasure.

Wally was lucky. So lucky. He kept telling himself that. Lucky for his speed. His healing factor. His team. The few friends he had. Barry and Iris. His intelligence. He was lucky. He should keep smiling, always smiling. He should be grateful for what he had. He shouldn't ever cry, because it wasn't bad enough for tears. The bruises weren't worth it. The names they called him weren't worth it.

Wally wasn't worth it.

So he smiled. He laughed. He joked. He flirted. He never let anyone in on his silent suffering, never anyone that mattered, that cared, that could and would do something about it. He made himself carry on. He was a hero. He could handle being beaten everyday. He candle being beaten several times a day. That's what heroes did.

And Wally never seemed to consider being his own hero.

When Junior year rolled around, Wally was relieved and disappointed at the same time. When he didn't have school, he spent a lot of time at home, and Rudy actually did more damage than the schoolyard bullies. Starting the next year also meant that he was that much closer to finishing school and leaving home.

But, at the same time, school was a problem. While Rudy was worse physically, the people at school hurt in more ways than one, and public embarrassment was one of their tools. Things escalated and escalated and eventually there were too many bruises to heal as fast as normal. He got to Mount Justice later and later and eventually he had to call in sick or just not show up because his broken nose wasn't healed yet and he didn't have a believable excuse that wasn't the truth.

The days he did go, he could tell Dick was worried. He wouldn't stop asking questions and trying to make sure he was alright. That made Wally irritable, because how was he supposed to keep this secret with Boy Wonder working him over like a case?

Dick eventually stopped asking questions, because he knew he wasn't going to get any honest answers. He didn't invite him to hang out as much either though, and Wally felt a dull pang in his chest. Even without them knowing his secret, he wasn't good enough to last as a friend.

But Wally shoved the pain away. He covered up the sadness with his signature smile and plowed on, kicking butt and taking names like the superhero he was.

The bullying got worse. Originally it might have been once a day, max. Now, it was in the morning, in between classes, at lunch, after school, and even during class if the students were smart. The teachers couldn't openly say or do anything to Wally about his sexuality, but they could turn a blind eye when the other students did.

It was half way through Junior year. That day, Wally had already been on the receiving end of many punches, kicks, etc. The bullies always took longer after school, because they apparently had no where to be. Wally sighed as he walked toward the doors of the school, recognizing several of his tormentors congregating by the exit. They grabbed him as soon as he was in reach and dragged him outside.

They always started with words. 'Faggot.' 'Worthless.' 'Freak.' 'Queer.' The list went on and on. They never ran out of things to say, and Wally tried to distract himself from the pain of it all by thinking of all the ways that creativity could be put to better use.

Eventually, the bullies tired of name-calling. Wally thought it was Mike who threw the first punch. Others joined in. Some held his arms so he couldn't move away or fight back or fall to the ground. Other students gathered around and cheered them on, yelling more names and creative curses.

The punches kept coming. Most of the kids got bored with the repetitive action, as it was a daily occurrence, and decided to head on home. Three boys stayed though. Two to hold him, and one to punch. Wally felt his knees go weak, and he knew he would be on the ground from the onslaught if he wasn't being held up. Tyler and Sam were strong, linebackers for the football team, so they wouldn't let him fall.

Mike had been on the football team too, until they kicked him off for getting them too many penalties. He was big and tall and strong. Many, if not all, the villains Wally fought were bigger and stronger and had better punches, but Wally couldn't fight back because he had a secret ID to keep, and he couldn't dodge for the same reason. He was taking hit after hit, and it was far more than he usually had to deal with.

Mike's fist reeled back for another punch, but it never came. Someone grabbed his wrist and pulled. Mike stumbled away, yelling curses at whoever would dare touch him.

Sam and Tyler immediately dropped Wally, and the speedster fell to the ground. He saw them rush over to help Mike, but it didn't work out too well for them. Wally's rescuer took them out in seconds, and they lay sprawled out on the concrete, groaning in pain.

Wally focused on the guy who was helping him. He currently had Mike pinned to the wall of the school and was punching him. "I swear," he said between punches, "If you ever... touch him again... I will END you."

Mike laughed bitterly. "I'm gunna hurt 'im for this. He won't be able to walk for a week."

Wally's rescuer punched him harder. "You won't," he growled.

"I will. I'm gunna kill him for this. I'm gunna... beat 'him til 'e's black 'n blue. I'm gunna break 'is ribs. I'm gunna-"

The man punched him again, over and over. "You won't. Touch him again, and I'll break every bone in your body." The man grabbed his neck and raised him in the air before slamming him into the wall, still a good 6 inches off the ground. "You don't think I will?"

When Mike shook his head, the man growled and slammed him against the wall again. This time, Mike's head hit the bricks and he fell unconscious. The man dropped him to the ground, breathing heavily.

The man turned around where Wally could see him. Wally's eyes went wide as he recognized him. Roy Harper, Red Arrow. Before either of them could say anything, Sam and Tyler were back on their feet and charging at Roy. The archer turned to meet them. Tyler went down first, it took only a punch to the face and a kick to the sternum, which Roy executed brilliantly. 

Roy took his time with Sam. He kicked him a couple times and punched him. Sam was obviously tougher than Tyler, but not as much as Mike. When Sam was on the verge of collapsing, Roy grabbed the collar of his shirt to hold him up as he kept hitting him.

Wally's eyes widened. He quickly scrambled up and rushed over to Roy, making sure to stay within the realms of human speed. He recognized the look in Roy's eyes and knew the archer wasn't planning on letting any of them off easy. He quickly grabbed Roy's wrist before he could get in another punch.

"Roy, stop. It's not worth it."

Roy turned to Wally, and some of the anger in his eyes lessened, even if it wasn't much. "What do you mean, it's not worth it?"

"I mean, they aren't worth it. The effort, the energy, the time," Wally turned Roy's hand so he could point to the bleeding knuckles, "The split knuckles. They aren't worth any if it."

Roy hesitated. "I'm not doing it because they're worth it. I'm doing it because you are." Wally's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. His jaw dropped and he just gaped at Roy like a drunk fish. "You're worth the time, and the energy, and the effort. If this is what it takes to keep them from going near you again, I'll break every bone in my hand to get the message across."

Wally hid his utter surprise, but not quickly enough to speak before Sam. "Aw, did wittle Wally finally find a boyfriend?" The glare Roy shot him didn't seem to make a difference, because he continued. "Did he finally find someone who doesn't hate him?"

Wally flinched at the words and let go of Roy's wrist, taking a step back. He mumbled, "Shut up, Sam," but Sam didn't care.

"Of course Wally finally found another fag to play with. Of course he fell in love with someone who's just as worthless as he is." Sam gave Roy a disgusted look. "Get your hands off me, fag. I bet it's contagious."

Roy growled. He dragged Sam over to the wall and slammed him against it. "I don't think it's any of your business, asshole. If I want to date Wally, it's not your damn concern. And if you can't see how amazing Wally is, that's not his problem. Keep your stupidity to yourself, you're already lowering my IQ." With one more punch, Roy threw him to the side so he landed on Tyler, who was almost standing up again. They both fell to the ground, groaning in pain and rolling in the dirt.

Roy walked over to Wally and looked over his face, running gentle fingers over the many bruises and cuts that were either just forming or in the process of healing. "Wally... Jesus Christ, Walls, what did they do to you?"

Trying to act as if nothing Sam said had affected him, Wally shrugged and attempted a smile, though it felt more like a grimace. It must have looked like a grimace too, because Roy's fingers pulled away. Wally frowned at that. It had felt nice, and he hadn't wanted him to stop. "It's not too bad. What are you doing here, Roy?"

The archer hesitated. "Dick called. Said you were acting weird and he was worried about you. I was nearby, so I decided to come check on you." Looking over Wally one more time, he huffed. "It's a good thing I did. Those morons didn't look like they were stopping any time soon."

Wally shrugged again and tried to take a step. His knees started to buckle, but Roy caught him by the waist. "Look, Walls, I know why you weren't fighting back, but this... there is a line, Wally. You shouldn't let them do this to you."

Wally wouldn't look at him. Roy sighed. "Fine. Don't reply. Dick said you probably wouldn't." Wally's head jerked up at that, but Roy didn't elaborate. "Come on. Let's get you home."

"No!" When Roy gave him an odd look, he floundered for a minute before throwing caution to the wind. "Not home. Please. Anywhere else. The library, McDonald's, NASA, anywhere. But not home."

Roy eyes widened slightly as something apparently clicked in his head. He nodded and grabbed Wally's hand, leading him away from the school. "Roy, where are we going?"

"My motorcycle."

Wally gulped as Roy started walking forward. Panic rose in him at the thought of riding Roy's motorcycle. It wasn't the actual bike that was the problem. It was riding with Roy.

Because Wally might have sort of had the tiniest little (gigantic, world-altering, all-powerful) crush on the redheaded archer, and riding on the back of his bike wasn't going to help that.

"Why?"

"You look like a piñata without the candy. There's no way you're running anywhere. Come on."

Wally figured there was nothing he could do about it, given Roy's stubborn nature, so he let himself be lead away. Wally looked over his shoulder and got a glimpse of the damage Roy had done to his three assailants. Sam was still rolling around and groaning, but Tyler was attempting to catch his breath and stand up. Attempting was the operative word, because he kept falling back on his butt. Mike was unconscious, half leaning on the school wall with his head lolled to the side.

"They'll be okay, right? No permanent damage?"

Roy looked up at him with the most incredulous look Wally'd ever seen on his face before he turned away to watch where he was walking. "They'll be fine. They won't be if they even think about touching you again."

Wally thought about telling Roy that he didn't have to and it wasn't necessary, but he honestly wasn't concerned about that right now. Besides, Roy probably wouldn't listen. There was a protective streak in every superhero.

"Thank you." Roy looked up at him again and his eyes softened. 

"Anytime, Kid."

When they got to the bike, Roy gracefully climbed on. He pulled on his helmet while Wally was sitting down behind him, then gave the speedster his spare helmet. "You're going to want to hold on. I go pretty fast."

Wally set his hands on Roy's shoulders, making sure he had a good enough grip. Roy sighed and reached up to grab his hands. He tugged them down and around his waist, making them clasp together in the middle just over his bellybutton. Wally gave him a wide-eyed look and Roy rolled his eyes. "I'm not taking any chances. I don't need you to slide off the back and get hurt even more then you already are. Now hang on." 

With that, Roy started up the bike. It lurched forward, and Wally's grip immediately tightened. Wally felt Roy's back muscles against his chest as they sped off, the speed of the bike and the force of the wind making sure they were pressed lightly against each other.

It wasn't until Roy parked the bike that Wally realized where Roy was taking him. They were pulled up in front of Roy's apartment. Realizing that Roy was waiting for him to get off first, he quickly released Roy's middle and climbed off, taking the helmet off at the same time.

The ride had been long, over half an hour, but that wasn't enough time for Wally's bruises to heal, and he wasn't used to motorcycles. He was wobbly when he stood up, having moved too fast, but Roy caught him before he could fall over. "Easy, Walls. There's no rush."

Wally played it off nonchalantly in an effort to ignore to hands on his hips. "I think you've forgotten who you're speaking to. Speedsters are always in a rush." Wally and Roy both heard the sudden noise emitting from Wally's stomach. The speedster smirked. "We are also always hungry. Got any food?"

Roy chuckled slightly and nodded. Wally was still obviously unsteady on his feet, so Roy slipped one of his arms over his shoulders and wrapped his own arm around his waist to support him. They made their way up the stairs, and Wally inwardly cursed the fact that Roy lived on the forth floor and the apartment complex had no working elevator.

Roy unlocked the door with his free hand and the two made their way inside. Wally unceremoniously plopped on the couch and Roy headed to the kitchen. He came back with a bag of chips for Wally and a cold beer for himself.

Wally just sat there, munching on chips and trying to avoid looking at Roy. He knew now. Roy knew that Wally was gay. Things could get real bad, real fast. What if Roy was disgusted by him? What if Roy told others? What if... what if Roy figured out that Wally liked him?

Oh lord, this was a nightmare. Wally had tried so hard to keep this from getting into his superhero life. His parents and the kids at school were the only ones who knew. Barry and Iris didn't ask a lot of questions, and they never talked to Wally's parents, for very logical reasons involving the fact that they were rude idiots with no manners. Nobody on the team went to his school, and all the flirting with M'gann, Arty, and any other attractive female in the vicinity kept them from figuring it out. But if Roy knew, who would be next? He was good friends with Kaldur, he had known Dick for years, his relationship with Arty had been getting better... there were plenty of people Roy could tell. Hell, he might even tell Green Arrow! Oliver was a total gossip, and once he knew, everyone else would.

Wally hadn't noticed his pulse and respiratory picking up, but Roy apparently did, because he laid a hand on Wally's shoulder. "Walls, you okay?"

What kind of question was that? Of course he wasn't! Couldn't Roy see his life could fall apart at any minute? "Yeah, of course, Roy. Why wouldn't I be?"

Roy raised an eyebrow in obvious disbelief. "Well, I just saved your ass from a couple of school bullies, whom you easily could have overcome but didn't, there was obviously some pretty serious verbal abuse to go along with the physical, you needed help climbing a couple flights of stairs that you normally could have taken in about a second, you're breathing heavily, I can actually see your pulse in your neck from the other side of the room so you're blood pressure must be through the roof, and don't think I missed the part where you were absolutely terrified at the idea of going to your own home." Wally's eyes were wide and his jaw was hanging open. Roy smirked sassily. "But you're right, Wally. I have no idea why I would think anything could possibly be other than perfect in your world. Silly me."

Wally couldn't help but smile a little. "Fair enough."

"You want to talk about it?"

Wally chewed some more chips while he contemplated the best way to respond to that question. "Do I have a choice?"

Roy let out a quiet chuckle. "Well, technically, yes, but not really because I'm stubborn as hell, and you kind of owe me for saving your ass."

Wally smiled sadly at his lap and sat quiet for a minute. Roy didn't seem to mind the wait. After a moment of silence that only made Wally more anxious, he finally spoke. "I don't know how to talk about it, Roy."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I've never tried to talk about before. I mean that I've spent years doing everything I could to hide it from everyone, so opening up about it is pretty much a foreign concept. I mean that I don't know how to start or where to start or even how to end it, and I mean that I have no idea how you'll react to it all and that's kind of terrifying."

When Wally looked up, he was surprised to find Roy looking at him with soft, understanding eyes. "Walls, you don't have to worry about my reaction. I'm the last person who would judge you for anything. You can start wherever you want."

Wally swallowed. "And if I don't want to start at all?"

"I have a feeling you want to get some of this off your chest. You might have done a pretty good job of lying and hiding all this stuff for years, but that doesn't mean you like hiding and lying. You don't have to talk, Walls, I get not wanting to tell people about all your problems, but I hope you trust me enough to know that I'm not going to treat you like those idiots at your school."

When Wally didn't respond immediately, Roy continued. "And if you really don't know how to talk about it, I could just ask you questions. It would probably be easier."

Wally looked up with grateful eyes and nodded. Roy gave him a small smile. "Alright, let's start with those idiots. How often do they bully you?"

"Every day. Sometimes more."

"More than everyday?"

Wally nodded. "Sometimes it's more than once. In the morning. Between classes. At lunch. After school. If they see me at the library, they usually pick up where they left off there too.”

Roy’s eyes went wide. “How long has this been going on?”

He hesitated for a moment before responding. “The teasing and name-calling started Freshman year. The physical stuff started Sophomore year. I haven’t actually had any friends since Middle school though.”

Roy looked angry. Very angry. Wally wasn’t entirely sure who Roy was angry at though, because the archer was glaring at him. Not through him or next to him. Directly at him.

“Roy…? You okay?”

The archer closed his eyes for a moment, taking deep breathes. Without opening his eyes, he spoke. “Walls…, why didn’t you say something?” Roy finally looked at him, the anger replaced by sadness. “All this time, Wally, and you never once said anything. Why?”

Wally looked away, unable to look Roy in the eye. He couldn’t see that sadness, and he couldn’t watch as the sadness was replaced by disgust when Wally confirmed what the bullies had said about him being gay.

Roy was having none of it, though. He moved closer on the couch, and placed a hand under Wally’s chin, forcing him to look up at him. “Answer me, Walls. Dick has been worried sick about you for over a month. You’re missing practices, calling in sick, avoiding Barry and Iris…” Roy’s expression became hurt.” You haven’t come over here to hang out in months.” He shook off the look and kept talking. “When Dick asks you what’s up, you won’t answer. Why are you shutting everybody out, Walls? Why haven’t you told anybody about this? Why won’t you let anybody help you?”

Wally sighed in resignation. He pulled his chin out of Roy’s hand and looked down at his lap. “If I told people I was getting bullied, they’d ask why. If I didn’t tell them, or lied, then they’d find out anyways because the only friends I have are superheroes and Dick, who has been my best friend for years, happens to be the Boy Wonder and apprenticed to the greatest detective on the planet. They’d figure it out and where would I be then?” Wally didn’t give Roy a chance to answer. “Alone, Roy.” He looked up at his friend. “I’d be alone. I can’t live like that, so I kept my problems to myself and pushed on, because I’m Kid Flash and I can handle a couple school yard bullies and an ass for a father. I’m a hero, Roy, that’s what I do, and heroes don’t he time for personal problems.”

Wally sighed and looked away. When Roy didn’t speak for a few moments, he ate some more chips so the silence wasn’t so awkward. When the archer did finally speak, Wally was startled by the sudden sound, and confused by the question. “Why would it make you alone?”

“What?” How was it that hard to understand? Why didn’t Roy get it that as soon as people found out they would hate him as much as the kids at school did, as much as his parents did? Why did he have to make Wally say it out loud? Didn’t he realize that saying it only made it hurt more?

“I asked why people finding out why you’re getting bullied would make you alone.”

Wally gave him a dubious look and shook his head slightly when Roy just kept looking at him, waiting for an explanation. He gave a bitter laugh before caving in and saying it. “When my parents found out, my dad decided the best way to cure his son of his terrible affliction would be to beat it out of me.” Wally didn’t take a second to register Roy’s eyes widening and his jaw dropping. He just plowed on through. If Roy wanted him to talk, he’d talk. “My mother never takes part in the beatings, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t support it. If my own parents think I’m an abomination, if my own parents hate me for it, why on earth would I be foolish enough to think anyone else would think any differently?”

Wally breathed heavily as he continued to stare accusingly at Roy, waiting for the man to stop pretending and be honest about how disgusted his was by Wally’s abnormality. That’s not what happened though. Apparently, Roy was still confused. That or he was hung up on the part where Wally admitted his father was abusive. 

It was obviously the former, because Roy asked, “What are you talking about, Walls? What could the League or the Team possibly find out that would make them hate you?”

Wally stood up and faced Roy. “Stop playing dumb, you asshole! You heard what Sam called me!”

It took Roy a minute, but his eyes finally widened in understanding. “Are you talking about- Walls, are telling me all of this is because you’re gay?”

Wally didn’t answer. He just kept glaring at Roy, waiting for the inevitable disgust to filter through his mask of concern. Roy stood up and when he took a step toward the speedster, Wally took a step back. This continued until Wally was backed up against a wall and Roy was standing right in front of him, their noses only about 5 inches apart.

Wally thought about running. He’d seen what Roy had done to Mike, Tyler, and Sam. He’d seen Roy take apart bad guys in the field. He knew Roy could be dangerous, very dangerous, and Wally didn’t want to be anywhere close when Roy dropped the act.

But Wally knew he was still weak from today’s episodes. The other people at school had been especially brutal, and Rudolph West had gotten in a round before breakfast. The chips had helped, but not enough that Wally’s speed would do him much good, or get him very far. So all he could do was stand there and wait for the beating.

“Your dad abuses you because you’re gay?”

Wally swallowed. “Yes.” The look in Roy’s eyes was hard and blank.

“The people at your school bully you because you’re gay?”

“Yes.”

Roy inched closer. “You didn’t want the League or the Team to find out, because you think they’ll hate you for being gay?”

Wally nodded, dropping eye contact in favor of staring at Roy’s chest. It was a very nice chest. “Yes, Roy.”

The speedster saw Roy’s hand raise. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the hit. He flinched when the calloused pads of fingers met his skin. It didn’t hurt though. Roy hadn’t hit him. He was merely touching his cheek. Wally slowly peeled his eyes open.

He gasped when he did. Roy’s eyes weren’t hard anymore. They were soft and caring and fond. “Oh Wally…” The fingers moved to trace one of the many cuts on his face. “I did hear what that looser called you. I hadn’t believed him, because you’re always flirting with every female body that moves, but… I heard what he said Walls, but did you hear what I said to him?”

Wally gulped harshly. “Not really. I was too focused on panicking because you knew my secret.”

Roy gave him a small smile. “I told him that you’re amazing, and that if he’s too dumb to figure that out, it’s not your fault.” Wally’s breath hitched and Roy moved closer. His voice lowered and softened further. He almost sounded timid, something Wally would never have thought Roy capable of. “I told him that if I wanted to date you, then that was between us, and that he didn’t get a say in who I cared about or who I wanted a relationship with.” 

Roy’s free hand came to rest on Wally’s hip, the thumb slipping under his shirt and drawing soothing circles into his skin. The other hand stopped tracing cuts and bruises to cup Wally’s cheek. Wally couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t inhale, he couldn’t exhale, he couldn’t do anything. All he could manage to do was to stare into Roy’s honest, caring eyes and wait with lips parted and heart beating in his chest.

Their foreheads leaned against each other and Roy’s eyes nervously flickered between Wally’s green orbs and his split and swollen lips. “Walls… will you let me kiss you?”

Wally didn’t trust his voice to work, so he simply nodded. Roy breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes before leaning in.

And they kissed.

It was a short kiss, soft and sweet. Wally guessed that Roy didn’t want to push him, and that the archer was trying to be gentle with his abused lips. They were mostly healed, but they were still a little beat up, so it was probably for the best that they didn’t immediately jump into a heated make out session.

When Roy pulled away, their eyes opened. Wally finally managed to breathe again, and he couldn’t help but let put an awe-filled, “Wow.” Roy chuckled softly, a small smile on his face as his fingers trailed the curve of Wally’s jaw.

“Wow indeed.” Roy looked down at Wally’s lips wistfully. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

Wally raised an eyebrow. “Well, since I’ve had a huge crush on you since the moment we met, I think I win the pining contest. Why do think I haven’t been over recently? My feelings were getting a little too hard to suppress.”

Roy’s smile widened, his fingers mapped out the feel of Wally’s bottom lip. “I wish you hadn’t suppressed them at all. Maybe then I would have kissed you sooner.” Roy replaced his fingers with his lips, this kiss lasting just a bit longer.

When the archer pulled away, Wally was breathless, but not too breathless to reply. “Maybe you should have acted on your feelings.”

Roy rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding? You flirted with all of the girls and none of the guys. How exactly was I supposed to know you would be the slightest bit interested?”

“Well, yeah, but you’re older. It’s your job to make the first move. Besides, we both know you aren’t the most approachable person under normal circumstances. Telling you I’ve had feelings for you since we met? I may be a superhero, but the really scary things are still daunting, you know.”

Roy made a resigned sigh, but he smiled anyway. “Alright, alright. Touché. It’s all my fault, I get it.”

“It really is. How was I supposed to know you would be interested? I’ve never seen you with a guy before.”

Roy’s eyebrows furoughed. “I thought everyone knew I was Bi. Didn’t realize the info hadn’t made its way to you yet.”

“How would I have known?” Wally blinked. “How would anyone have known? I’m pretty sure you didn’t throw a Coming Out Party. And if you did, shame on you for not inviting me.”

Roy’s face took on a considering look. “Well, after Kaldur and I dated for a couple months, I didn’t think it was much of a secret.”

The speedster’s eyes widened comically. “You and Kaldur?!”

Roy shrugged. “Didn’t think you were an option, and he needed a rebound from Tula. Didn’t work out anyway. We decided we’re better off as just friends. He wasn’t over Tula, and I sure as hell wasn’t over you. How did you not know about it though? We were pretty obvious.”

Wally opened his mouth to say something, but when he couldn’t think of anything, he closed it. Roy laughed at his rare bout of being speechless, and Wally huffed. “I never claimed to observant, Roy.”

When Roy wouldn’t stop laughing at him, Wally thought of a way to shut him up.

This kiss quickly grew more heated. When Wally felt Roy’s tongue swipe along his bottom lip, the speedster couldn’t help but part his lips and grant the archer entrance. As Roy explored his mouth, Wally moaned around his tongue. He wrapped his arms around the older man’s neck as Roy’s hands gripped tightly to his hips, pulling him closer.

They didn’t pull apart until Roy’s hand wandered a little too high under Wally’s shirt and grazed a fractured rib that hadn’t fully healed. Wally quickly pulled back and sucked in air through clenched teeth.

“Shit! Sorry, I forgot.” Roy removed his hands and took a step back, trying to figure out how bad it was.

“You forgot about your boyfriend’s wounds?” Wally took his role as Drama Queen quite seriously. Royalty was not something to take lightly. “Roy, how could you?”

Roy raised a playful eyebrow. “Boyfriend, huh?”

Wally’s eyes widened comically before he smiled shyly and nodded. “Please?”

Roy chuckled and shook his head. He placed a quick kiss on Wally’s lips and rolled his eyes. “As if you actually had to ask.” Chuckling at the speedster’s wide grin, Roy grabbed his hand and pulled him off the wall. “Come on, Boyfriend. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

**Author's Note:**

> So what did ya think? Let me know so I can improve future KidArrow fics (another one is likely coming soon, because I love them)
> 
> P. S. I have way too many OTPs. KidArrow is one of them. So, obviously, more KidArrow to come. =D


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